Nick Chan Dot Net

Bigger crowds at this year’s Nine Emperor God Festival at Carnavon St

Last year, I was that at Carnavon St to see the so-called parade of the Nine Emperor God Festival and I didn’t miss it this year too. I went to the same place, to join the fun and took more photos than before. The crowds grows this year. There’s like more photographers than before and came up a group of videographer too. Wonder is it for personal use or work.

This year’s was different because I was alone. As for last year, I went there with my parents and met Ah Kok, but for this year, I met no one. I was alone all the time with my camera.

I went early this year, at around 9pm. People of locals and tourists were already standby for the thing to take place.

The crowds were really big, mostly photographer and I had to squeeze myself in to take shots too.

Something cool was that I got to see how they insert or poke through these steel into one’s mouth. It wasn’t really disgusting because there’s actually no blood coming out, or I couldn’t see it. But it’s very fast, I am sure it’s pain but for a while I guess.

It was just like Thaipusam but this is in the Taoist way. A kind of belief and a kind of tradition. Hoping to get bless.

I went on walking along the street for photos and there’s all these very cool “god-possessed” waiting for the “parade” to start. I am superstitious a little bit, I believe there’s god and ghost hanging around us. What do you think? Do you believe?

Don’t really know how it works but they “it” does works.

When the procession started, the street was filled with all the devotees. I was walking along with them too.

The price of a DSLR is getting lower and lower, competition among brands made it that like a lot of people are their hands on a DSLR, which made more and more amateur photographers appear at event like this. Good thing or bad thing? Very hard to comment on that.

I had fun with the photos, I had fun walking at there. I guess will be changing a new location next year. There’s one at Butterworth which is very happenings and there’s one at Hatyai, Thailand which is more happenings than here. Wow!